Reza Qoli Mirza Afshar

Reza Qoli Mirza
Indian portrait of Reza Qoli Mirza Afshar, dated 1800–1820
Born	1719 Abiward, Iran
Died	1747 Kalat, Iran
Spouse	Fatemeh Begum
Issue	Shahrokh Shah
Dynasty	House of Afshar
Father	Nader Shah
Religion	Shia Muslim

Reza Qoli Mirza Afshar (Persian: رضا قلی میرزا افشار; 1719–1747) was the eldest son of Nader Shah, King of Afsharid Iran. After his father's coronation in 1736, Reza Qoli, aged 17, became the Governor of the province of Khorasan. During his tenure, he subdued rebellious khans and marched up to Bukhara to put an end to the Khanate of Bukhara, his father's enemies. Before heading off to India, Nader Shah appointed Reza Qoli the regent of Iran. Reza Qoli ensured peace through harsh measures when collecting taxes and executed people for petty crimes. He had Tahmasp II and Abbas III, two pretenders to the throne, killed, which caused an uproar among the people. When Nader Shah returned from India, he dismissed Reza Qoli as regent, snubbing him for his actions during the regency.

Afterwards, Reza Qoli served as a commander in his father's army, but the relationship between the two had turned to bitterness. Reza Qoli, constantly humiliated by Nader, criticised his father, and Nader grew more distrusting of his son. Although he later regretted it, Nader blinded Reza Qoli after suspecting him to be behind an assassination attempt in 1742. Reza Qoli was confided in Kalat fortress until 1747, when he was executed by his cousin and the claimant to the throne, Adel Shah.

During his life, Reza Qoli received a positive appraisal from his contemporaries. He was described as a just ruler, even if he had committed cruelties. His blinding left a great impact on his father and the realm. Nader Shah underwent a mental breakdown and became a bitter and nihilistic man, and faced many rebellions all across the kingdom because of his tyranny. Modern historians speculate that Reza Qoli could have been an able monarch for Iran, based on his abilities in commerce and martials.